I tried 60 low- and no-alcohol drinks: here are my favourite beers, wines and spirits

Dry January may be behind us, but more and more of us are choosing to ditch the hard stuff year-round. Lighter on the waistline and wallet and hangxiety-free, low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks have surged in popularity in recent years. A 2024 YouGov survey found almost half of young people regularly choose low- or no-alcohol drinks – and 39% of 18- to 24-year-olds never drink alcohol at all.

Whether you want to cement the good habits you formed during dry January, stay dry full-time or are simply tonight’s designated driver, there are plenty of tempting low- and no-alcohol tipples to try. And zebra striping (alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) is no chore when the 0% category is as refreshing as we have today.

From beers that taste like the real deal to zero-alcohol fizz worth celebrating, there’s a low-alcohol drink to tickle everyone’s fancy. I’ve worked my way through more than 60 different booze-free beers, wines, spirits, kombuchas, premixed drinks and everything in between to find the best the category has to offer.

To qualify for inclusion in this list, drinks had to be under 2% ABV (many between 6% and 10% are also worth seeking out if you’re aiming to reduce, not replace). As well as tasting delicious, they also had to be a convincing alternative to an alcoholic counterpart. I recognise that many people searching for lo-alcohol drinks don’t want something that looks, feels or tastes like booze, but for the purposes of this test, I did. That said, many of the fabulous healthy sparkling waters and fermented drinks I tried were far preferable to some of the alcoholic-free wines out there.

Here, then, is my pick of the best low- and no-alcohol drinks to raise a glass to, safe in the knowledge there’s no hangover in the post.

The best non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks for 2025

Photograph: wilpunt/Getty Images

Best low-alcohol red wine

Moderato Merlot-Tannat Cuvée Révolutionnaire 0.5%

_{£13.99 at Majestic}

Of all the low-alcohol alternatives, a decent red wine is probably the hardest to find. Some taste like plasticky grape juice, while others try to replicate the complexity of an alcoholic red by introducing rogue flavours such as beetroot and herbs.

No one will mistake this Moderato for a fully fledged merlot, but it does have the characteristic dark fruit notes of that grape, and its structure puts it firmly on the wine spectrum, rather than juice. Overall, it tastes extremely pleasant. Using grapes sourced from vineyards in south-west France, this wine is cold-distilled in the country’s first de-alcoholising centre, where they keep a careful eye on retaining the structure and aroma of the original wine. A decent food wine with rich casseroles and warming tagines, or enjoyed alone.

Best low-alcohol gin

Everleaf Mountain, 0.4%

_{£22 at Everleaf
£22 at Majestic}

Everleaf isn’t billed as a non-alcoholic gin, as some are, but more loosely as an aperitif; this particular variety is a showcase of fruity floral botanicals inspired by mountain flavours. To me, this is an enjoyable alternative to sweeter, strawberry-forward pink gins, when served with quality tonic, ice and a slice. Summer flavours abound, with a welcome bitterness from rosehip keeping it from becoming saccharine. I served this to teetotal relatives at a drinks party, who praised it highly; as a real gin fan, I’m very happy drinking it too.

Best sparkling tea

LA Brewery Sparkling English Blush, 0.0%

_{£11.99 at Virgin Wines
£13 at LA Brewery}

This was among my absolute favourites. It’s a sparkling kombucha, but feels and tastes really special – starting with the cork for popping. Crafted in a Suffolk microbrewery, this explodes with English fruit; wild strawberries and fresh rhubarb dominate, while the funk of kombucha adds a necessary tang to balance the natural sweetness. It’s actually low in sugar, and has the benefit of being packed with live cultures – but this is so lovely you don’t need to convince anyone with its health benefits. I recommend it for a celebration, even if all you’re celebrating is the fact it’s a Friday.

Best dealcoholised sparkling wine

Bolle blanc de blancs, <0.5%

_{£18.99 at Drink Supermarket
£19.99 at VinoZero}

Sparkling wines are probably the safest bet in the low and no category. From Nozeco to Vilarnau cava, I liked almost all of the low-alcohol fizzes I sampled and many were truly excellent. This one edged ahead because of how expensive it tastes. It’s made in Spain using chardonnay grapes and is double fermented (as with champagne and cava) before being dealcoholised, and it’s a real treat however you look at it. It had a recognisable blanc de blancs profile – crisp orchard fruit and brioche notes – along with a properly persistent champagne-like mousse and a dryish finish. I’ll be buying this again.

For more booze-free bubbly, read our guide on the best low-alcohol prosecco, champagne and sparkling wines

Best mocktail

Belvoir Farm non-alcoholic lime and yuzu mojito

_{£3.25 at Tesco
£3.40 at Waitrose}

Belvoir Farm is better known for its nice cordials and soft drinks, but it now boasts one of the biggest mocktail ranges in the UK. With passion fruit martini, peach bellini and more to choose from, my pick is the Great Taste Award-winning lime and yuzu mojito, which is fresh, zesty and aromatic. Luscious-tasting and super-cooling, this mocktail is good on its own, but when muddled properly with fresh mint and lots of ice, no one would miss the real thing. I loved the unexpected edge that the yuzu brings.

Best alcohol-free spirit

The Pathfinder hemp and root non-alcoholic spirit

_{£29.75 at the Whisky Exchange
£34.99 at Amazon}

Smoky, medicinal, herbal, bitter, citrussy, spicy: just some of the words I’d use to describe the taste of the Pathfinder, and I wouldn’t come close to defining its flavour. Darkly complex and intriguing, this new US-based alcohol-free spirit uses hemp, angelica root, juniper, saffron and other wild botanicals distilled into a liquid that works alone or in cocktails – as seen at the London cocktail bars Lyaness and Satan’s Whiskers. If you’re a fan of negroni, fernet or other amaro, then this is likely up your street. Try stirred with bitters, ice and a twist of orange for an alcohol-free twist on your favourites.

Best low-alcohol lager

Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects hoppy lager, 0.4%

_{£2.52 at Dry Drinker
£53.99 for 24 bottles at Amazon}

Low and no beers have been pretty good quality from the off, with the independent breweries generally doing cooler, more interesting and great-tasting things than the big brands. Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects hoppy lager is an unfailingly good all-rounder and easily holds its own against any alcoholic lager. It’s light, bright and so full of authentic, fresh hop flavours that it may even pass as the real thing.

Best low-alcohol ale

Firebrand Brewing Co Shorebreak hazy pale ale, 0.5%

_{£2.69 at Wise Bartender
£3 at Drink Finder}

When summer finally arrives, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better drink to enjoy on the beach than this Cornish IPA. Ridiculously smooth, light and zingy with hoppy flavours, Firebrand Brewing’s Shorebreak bursts with hazily chilled tropical fruit flavours such as pineapple, guava and banana. You might struggle to tell if it’s alcoholic or not – and when it tastes this great, for just 35 calories a can, who cares?

Best low-alcohol cider

Sandford Orchards Red Zero, 0.5%

_{£27 for 12 at Sandford Orchards}

Low-alcohol cider is a little trickier to get right than beer. Some are cloyingly sweet, others taste too straightforwardly of apples, while my previous favourite low-alcohol cider (the Maison Sassy Poir) has an ABV a touch too high for this list. This new Red Zero cider from Devon producer Sandford Orchards is created sustainably in the same way as its award-winning alcoholic cider – local cider apples are pressed, fermented and matured before the alcohol is removed. It’s juicy and tangy, with a fruity funk ripe for a pub garden.

Best alcohol-free tequila-style spirit (yes, really)

Almave Blanco blue agave spirit, 0%

_{£21.89 at Master of Malt
£20.45 at Amazon}

Joanne Gould is a freelance food, drink and lifestyle writer with a decade of experience. As well as enthusiastically eating her way through London’s best bars and restaurants, she’s also a keen home cook and can often be found trying a new recipe or kitchen gadget, while taste-testing anything from South African wines to speciality coffee or scotch. Luckily, she also enjoys walking, running and keeping fit and healthy in her spare time – for balance